Plastic automobile body

ABSTRACT

An automobile body of synthetic plastic materials of substantially two parts as two large components. The parts are produced by injection moulding and there are flat contacting surfaces for the contacting parts of the body.

United States Patent [72] inventors Hermann Hablitzel Wollsburg; ErnstGallasch, Wollsburg; Friedrich Jacob, Steimke. near Wittingen: AlfredPatzold, Wollsburg, all of, Germany [211 App]. No. 781,889

[22] Filed Dec.6, 1968 [45] Patented Aug. 3, 1971 73] Assignee Messrs.Volkswagcnwerk Aktiengescllsdtaft Wolisburg, Germany [32] Priority Dec.7, 11967 [33] Germany [54] PLASTIC AUTOMOBILE BODY 5 Claims, 6 DrawingFigs.

[52] 11.8. G1 296/31 P, 52/415 5: 1m. (:1 B62d 29/04 [50] Field ofSearch296/3l,31 1 ,28; 52/415,436, 619, 264, 284; 287/2092 D, 20.92 TO [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,186,223 1/1940 Willetts 52/415X 2,242,269 5/1941 Siebler 296/31 P X 2,728,702 12/1955 .Simon et al.296/31 P UX 3,151,573 10/1964 Eggert 296/29 X 3,163,435 12/1964 Kruegeret a1. 296/31 PX 3,331,627 7/1967 Schroder 296/31 P FOREIGN PATENTS910,251 11/1962 Great Britain 296/31 P 728,021 4/1955 Great Britain52/436 Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-John A. PekarAttorney-Watson, Cole, Grindle & Watson ABSTRACT: An automobile body ofsynthetic plastic materials of substantially two parts as two largecomponents. The parts are produced by injection moulding and there areflat contacting surfaces for the contacting parts of the body.

the mould, while the intermediate layer shows the fine porous structureof a hard foam of conventional type. The mould pressure set up duringthe reaction amounts to approximately 1 kgJcmF.

The low working pressure necessary with this method makes possible themanufacture of parts having a large area.

The object of the invention is consequently to-form an automobile bodyof synthetic plastics material from substantially two parts and proposesto assemble the body with substantially flat connecting surfaces from aframe or chassis and an upper part of the body which comprises the roof,the lateral surfaces and also the front and rear closure sections. Thetolerances which positively occur with parts having a large area actless strongly on flat connecting surfaces than with distorted abutmentsurfaces. The connection of the two large parts or components ispreferably effected by adhesive bonding of overlapping extensions. Thefurther development of this bonding technique is to be more fullyexplained hereinafter by constructional examples.

The two assembled large components only have to be supplemented by a fewsmaller components, that is a transverse wall, dashboard and back shelf.Inserts of the synthetic plastic parts serving for increasing thestrength, that is, a wire mesh for the roof, tubes for pillars, transomsand bearers, can already be placed in the casting mould, as well asfunctional parts such as locks, hinges and the like.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingin which;

FIG. 1 is the side elevation of a synthetic plastics body according tothe invention,

FlG. 2a, 2b and 2c are cross sections showing three variants of asection taken along the line ll-ll of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along the line llllIl in F l0. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a cross section through the tunnel of the chassis of the bodyaccording to FIG. 1.

According to F IG. 1, an automobile body is composed of a frame withlongitudinal and transverse bearers as well as the wheel housings and anupper body part, consisting of the roof, a lateral part including wingsas well as rear and front closure elements, and in fact the upper partis let down from above on to the chassis and is supported oncorresponding complementary abutments of the latter. The abutmentsextend substantially in flat form, in order to allow manufacturingtolerances to become of less consequence.

FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2: show different shaping possibilities for the pointof connection of the two body components.

According to FIG. 2a, the abutment ll of the chassis comprises asupporting bead 2, projecting therefrom on which is supported theprojection 3 of the upper body part. In this way, a gap is formed toreceive adhesive. According to H6. 2b, a connection of tongue-and-grooveconfiguration is provided for the two projections. The projection 3 ofthe upper body part comprises a covering edge portion 4 to protect thebonding position. Finally, the adhesive surfaces according to FlG. 2care fluted or roughened in order to increase the strength of the bondedconnection.

A filling material for increasing the strength, that is, glass fiberchips, is advantageously added to the plastics bonding ent.

According to FIG. 3, the bonding of the body components is effected bytwo projections 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 on both components, by providing achannel. The inside walls of this channel comprise preformed ribs 9 and10 extending in the direction of the channel cross section, which ribscan serve to hold a tube as a heating tube 11. The tube 11 is preferablyinserted before the bonding of the two large components and clampedbetween the ribs 9 and 10 at the time of bonding. The support of thetube 11 between the ribs guarantees a good heat insulation.

The fact that the body is composed of essentially two large sectionsmakes it possible for reinforcing tubes extending longitudinally to beprovided at the same time as guide elements for operating linkages orwire pulls. FIG. 4 shows by means of a section through the tunnel of thechassis the fitting of reinforcing tubes 12, into which can be fittedwire pulls or rods extending from the front part of the vehicle to therear thereof.

We claim:

1. Self-supporting automobile body consisting of synthetic plasticsmaterials, the parts of which are produced by reaction injectionmoulding, wherein the whole body is composed of a chassis component andan upper component, the latter comprising a roof, side panels and frontand rear body parts, the two body components having connecting surfaceswith overlapping projections to be bonded together, at least one ofwhich is provided with a spacer bead on a-bonding surface providing agap to receive adhesive and one of which includes a covering edgeportion to conceal the said gap.

2. Self-supporting automobile body according to claim 1, in which thebonding surfaces are roughened.

3. Self-supporting automobile body according to claim 1, in which theadhesive includes a strengthening filler material such as glass fibermaterial.

4. Self-supporting automobile body according to claim 1, in which thereare two pairs of said connecting surfaces, arranged one above the otherwith the surfaces of each pair laterally offset from their respectivebody components, the portions of said components between said pairs ofsurfaces forming a channel when said components are united.

5. A self-supporting automobile body according to claim 1, wherein saidcomponents define between them a channel, a tube disposed within andlengthwise of said channel, and ribs projecting in opposed relation fromthe respective components transversely to the channel and clamping saidtube between them.

1. Self-supporting automobile body consisting of synthetic plasticsmaterials, the parts of which are produced by reaction injectionmoulding, wherein the whole body is composed of a chassis component andan upper component, the latter comprising a roof, side panels and frontand rear body parts, the two body components having connecting surfaceswith overlapping projections to be bonded together, at least one ofwhich is provided with a spacer bead on a bonding surface providing agap to receive adhesive and one of which includes a covering edgeportion to conceal the said gap.
 2. Self-supporting automobile bodyaccording to claim 1, in which the bonding surfaces are roughened. 3.Self-supporting automobile body according to claim 1, in which theadhesive includes a strengthening filler material such as glass fibermaterial.
 4. Self-supporting automobile body according to claim 1, inwhich there are two pairs of said connecting surfaces, arranged oneabove the other with the surfaces of each pair laterally offset fromtheir respective body components, the portions of said componentsbetween said pairs of surfaces forming a channel when said componentsare united.
 5. A self-supporting automobile body according to claim 1,wherein said components define between them a channel, a tube disposedwithin and lengthwise of said channel, and ribs projecting in opposedrelation from the respective components transversely to the channel andclamping said tube between them.